Quinnen Williams, a homegrown star of the New York Jets, is feeling disrespected. While the Jets continue to bask in the afterglow of the Aaron Rodgers trade, Williams feels that there is still a big piece of unfinished business in the Jets’ offseason. Negotiations are moving at a glacial pace, relative to the defensive tackle market, raising two questions: What’s next? How long will this drama last? His abbreviated message on his phone or laptop was “Defensive tackle for……………….”. Williams changed his Twitter bio on Monday, scrubbing the Jets and unfollowing them on his social media accounts, which is the 2020s thing to do for professional athletes unhappy with their contract.
The Jets appear to be in no rush because they have Williams under contract for 2023 at a team-friendly $9.6 million (his fifth-year option), plus the franchise tag in 2024. However, Williams is watching his peers make major scores and wants his. Teammates want to see him rewarded, and a few have used an #extendQ hashtag on Twitter posts. Williams could be aiming to become the highest-paid defensive tackle not named Aaron Donald ($31.7 million average annual value), which would mean eclipsing Jeffery Simmons in AAV ($23.5 million) and fully guaranteed money ($47.8 million).
The two sides aren’t close to an agreement. In the meantime, Williams is avoiding voluntary workouts, as he said he would. If he takes it a step further and skips the mandatory minicamp (June 13-15), he’d be subject to about $93,000 in fines, per the collective bargaining agreement.
The Possibility of a Trade
Could Williams turn into Jamal Adams 2.0? The tenor of the Williams negotiations isn’t nearly as contentious as the Adams situation. A trade request would be the nuclear option, and there’s no indication Williams is even thinking about that. A trade would be counterproductive for the Jets, who are in a much different place than they were in 2020. Back then, they coveted draft capital, as they were in the midst of a roster teardown/rebuild. Adams brought back two first-round picks, which became guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, two of their better players.
The current Jets, with the 39-year-old Rodgers, are in win-now mode. A 2024 draft pick does them no good this season, and there would be no way to adequately replace Williams, a first-team All-Pro and arguably the best player on their highly regarded defense. That he plays a premium position, as opposed to Adams, also is a factor. Based on his track record, general manager Joe Douglas is more apt to allocate big money for a defensive tackle than, say, a safety.
Williams, drafted third overall in 2019, is hoping to join a growing trend of former first-round picks receiving extensions. From the 2017 and 2018 drafts, 12 of the 20 defensive players whose fifth-year options were exercised landed contract extensions before their fifth season. That’s a stark contrast to the 2014-16 drafts. In those years, only four of the 31 defenders in that category got extensions.
All told, of the 35 players over those five drafts who didn’t get an extension from their original team, 11 were traded. That includes two former Jets: Adams and defensive tackle Leonard Williams (New York Giants).
Williams has said he wants to remain with the Jets because he likes his coaches and the direction of the organization. But he also said, “I want to be compensated for what I am.” The defensive tackle market is clearly defined, but based on the current pace, this could drag out into the summer.
The Jets need to come to an agreement with Williams to keep the star player happy and on the team. While a trade is not completely off the table, it would be counterproductive for the Jets, who are in win-now mode. Williams is hoping to join a growing trend of former first-round picks receiving extensions, and the Jets should be willing to allocate big money for a defensive tackle, based on Joe Douglas’ track record. It remains to be seen how long this drama will last, but the Jets need to act fast to keep Williams on their team and happy.
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